The Tempograph’s expansive dial showcases a twenty-second retrograde mechanism, developed by Ateliers Louis Moinet in collaboration with Concepto. It features a large central retrograde second hand. With a continuous twenty-second sweep, it brings the dial to life in a unique manner – a direct nod to the automatons from the Enlightenment era of watchmaking, when Louis Moinet himself was creating his finest timepieces and grandest clocks.
There’s a second moving display at 9 o’clock: an openwork disc, in shades of white, grey and black, marks out the three twenty-second sequences in each minute.
The hour dial at four o’clock, features the blue-tinted hands with “dewdrop” tips that have become one of the aesthetic hallmarks of Ateliers Louis Moinet.
“We had already created a first patented and limited-edition of 10 Second Tempographs. The new collection displays a rather more classical sensitivity, in line with the ethos of traditional watchmaking elegance,” says Jean-Marie Schaller, CEO and Creative Director of Ateliers Louis Moinet. “Building on this classical foundation, we’ve deployed all the contemporary essence of our Ateliers: the open dial revealing the mechanical beauty of the movement; dewdrop hands; a highly technical case – which alone comprises some sixty components; the fleur-de-lis applique at 12 o’clock; and plenty more besides.”
The exclusive features of this model include the Calibre LM39. Designed and developed by Ateliers Louis Moinet, it has over 260 parts and has been made all in one piece, with no additional module to house the complication. The latter has been integrated to ensure better technical coherence for this component. The timepiece boasts a 48-hour power reserve, as well as a rotor mounted on a high-tech ceramic ball bearing. The subtle interaction of the cam and the ruby-tipped rack at 8 o’clock is a unique and particularly spectacular sight.
“Developing the automatic caliber from scratch allowed us to bring all its mechanical beauty to the fore,” explains Jean-Marie Schaller. “For instance, we were able to highlight the retrograde cam at 8 o’clock, and give it a minimalist spiral shape. Similarly, the upper bridge is pearled, angled and polished entirely by hand; the plates have alternating sanded and polished finishes to give the dial a greater sense of depth. Meanwhile, the Clou de Paris on the bezel is a completely new finish for our Ateliers. We’ve also been able to show off a large part of the workings, as well as the balance wheel – positioned closer to the dial than the bottom, and balanced by 18 screws, as our own watchmaking heritage dictates.”
Three series of the 43.5mm-diameter (44mm-diameter in 18K gold) 20 Second Tempograph will be produced: the first two in pink gold and white gold – 60 of each at a price of CHF 44,000 each. The third series of 365 watches will be produced in titanium, at a price of CHF 22,000.
